Soft metal casting



1% 48; c. H. SMITH 2,447 37 SOFT. METAL CASTING Filed March 27, 1946 fig. 1. fig. Z.

INVENTOR. ('ARLE TONHENRY 'M]TH jam %Q,%/

ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 17, 1948 SOFT METAL CASTING Carleton Henry Smith, Montreal, Quebec, Canada, assignor to National Lead Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application March 27, 1946, Serial No. 657,585

1 Claim. 1

The present invention relates to soft metal castings and has particular reference to a readily transportable bar of caulking metal.

Prior to the present invention, caulking metal, which is a lead alloy, was available to the trade principally in two forms: (1) separate billets or cakes weighing about 5 lbs.; and, (2) in the form of bars consisting of a plurality of segments or cakes joined together by a neck of relatively small cross-section. The latter form possesses some advantage over the former in that it eliminates the necessity of transporting a large number of individual cakes or billets. In the form of a bar consisting of joined segments, the caulking metal can be carried about and the segments broken off from the bar as needed. However, carrying a bar of individual segments is rather inconvenient and awkward. The prior art has suggested several means of overcoming this disadvantage. For instance, it has been proposed to cast into a composite bar a handle of a different metal, for instance, of copper or iron, than the caulking metal itself. It has also been suggested to perforate one of the end segments in order to accommodate the handle or tongs. It has also been suggested to notch the end of a bar of soft metal in order to accommodate a hook. All of these methods involve certain apparent disadvantages, in particular, they require either the use of a specially designed tool or part of another metal. The present invention provides a readily transportable bar ofcaulking metal composed entirely of the caulking metal itself.

The principal object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a readily transportable bar of soft metal. Another object of the present invention is to provide a bar of caulking metal consisting of a plurality of segments joined together by a breakable narrow neck of small cross-section and provided at one end with a handle molded of the same alloy as the caulking metal and joined to the segments by a breakable neck.

Fig. 1 is a plan view of one embodiment of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a partly sectionalized View of the embodiment shown in Fig. 1 taken on the line AA of Fig. 1.

Reference numeral l represents segments or billets of caulking metal each of substantially the same weight (in practice, it is usually found that such weight is conveniently fixed at about 5 lbs.) joined together at I I by narrow necks of relatively small crosssection. These necks are so formed as to provide a secure union of the segments but are not so strong as would prevent an operator from readily breaking the segments apart. I2 is a handle which in the embodiment shown in Figs. 1 and 2 is in the form of an oval loop. It is cast as an integral part of the bar, and like the several segments of the bar is joined to an adjacent segment by means of a narrow breakable neck [3. It will be understood that the particular shape of the handle is not of consequence.

The present invention is based upon the provision of a handle cast of the same metal as constitutes the bar and forms an integral part thereof, being joined to the bar by a narrow breakable neck.

The cast bars of the present invention are formed by pouring molten metal into a mold which is so constructed as to shape the metal into the individual joined segments and the handle at one end thereof. In general, the size and shape of the handle should be such as to enable an operator readily to grasp the bar by the handle and the handle itself should weigh about as much as the individual segments. Thus, in work, an operator may crack 011 one or more billets as required until finally only the handle remains, which, in turn, may also be melted and used as caulking metal like the individual segments.

The caulking metal bars of the present invention possess the advantages: (a) of being readily transportable; (1)) providing individual segments which can be readily broken off for use; (0) of being completely used up; and. (d) do not require for transportation the use of any special tools or other metal parts. In the drawings, the bar has been shown consisting of four segments and a handle. It will be understood that the invention is not limited to such an embodiment. If desired, a bar may consist of more or less segments. The essential feature of the present invention resides in the provision of a handle to a bar of soft metal, such as caulking metal, integrally cast as part of the bar, said handle being of the same metal as the bar and joined thereto by a narrow breakable neck.

I claim:

As a new article of manufacture, a caulking metal bar consisting of individual segments of substantially the same weight and form joined together longitudinally by narrow breakable necks of relatively small cross-section and being provided at at least one end thereof with a loop shaped handle having a relatively straight upper gripping section adapted to be conveniently engaged by a closed fist cast as an integral part of said bar and of the same metal being joined thereto by a narrow breakable neck of relatively small cross-section and weighing about as much as an individual segment of said bar.

CARLETON HENRY SMITH.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,950,633 Schmeller Mar. 13, 1934 2,145,766 Jung Jan. 31, 1939 2,146,678 Jung Feb. 7, 1939 2,157,097 Jung May 9, 1939 2,174,562 Berg Oct. 3, 1939 

